Gary Dell'Abate, also known as Baba Booey from the Howard Stern Show, standsoutside the Stamford Superior Court on Thursday, February 28, 2013, as State Police officers inspect the building after a bomb threat was made. Dell'Abate was at the courthouse to serve jury duty. less

Gary Dell'Abate, also known as Baba Booey from the Howard Stern Show, standsoutside the Stamford Superior Court on Thursday, February 28, 2013, as State Police officers inspect the building after a bomb threat ... more

Gary Dell'Abate, also known as Baba Booey from the Howard Stern Show, standsoutside the Stamford Superior Court on Thursday, February 28, 2013, as State Police officers inspect the building after a bomb threat was made. Dell'Abate was at the courthouse to serve jury duty. less

Gary Dell'Abate, also known as Baba Booey from the Howard Stern Show, standsoutside the Stamford Superior Court on Thursday, February 28, 2013, as State Police officers inspect the building after a bomb threat ... more

People stand outside state Superior Court in Stamford on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, following a bomb threat.

People stand outside state Superior Court in Stamford on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, following a bomb threat.

Photo: John Nickerson

Image 11 of 13

People stand outside state Superior Court in Stamford on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, following a bomb threat.

People stand outside state Superior Court in Stamford on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, following a bomb threat.

Photo: John Nickerson

Image 12 of 13

People stand outside state Superior Court in Stamford on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, following a bomb threat.

People stand outside state Superior Court in Stamford on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, following a bomb threat.

Photo: John Nickerson

Image 13 of 13

Bomb scare forces evacuation of Stamford court

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STAMFORD -- A nearly three-hour search of the state Superior Court building turned up nothing Thursday morning after two separate bomb threats were called into the criminal clerk's office.

The threat forced the evacuation of more than 100 litigants, employees, prisoners and prospective jurors and delayed the court's busy docket.

State Police Sgt. Donna Tadiello confirmed that two calls came in to the criminal clerk's office on the first floor at about two minutes before 10 a.m. and two minutes after, from someone saying that a bomb was in the building located at 123 Hoyt St.

A court employee, who did not want to be identified because they did not have permission to talk about the incident, said the calls made to the two different clerks minutes apart were placed by women, but it cannot be determined if they were made by the same woman.

Tadiello said that the search did not turn up any bombs or anything suspicious.

"The threats remain under investigation. If persons who made the threats are located the necessary actions will be taken," Tadiello said.

After the threats were reported to the judicial marshals, fire alarms began ringing inside the courthouse. Almost three hours later, after the courthouse and adjacent parking structure was searched, employees were allowed back in the building at 12:45 p.m. and the public was allowed entry at 2 p.m.

State troopers are investigating the threat while dogs were brought in to search the building for a bomb.

Just before 11 a.m. with hundreds of people standing on the sidewalk of Hoyt Street, a police officer announced, "If this wasn't a serious situation, we wouldn't be out here. Think about it."

Some who were cleared away from the building and prohibited from retrieving their cars in the adjacent four-story garage were angered by the announcement. One woman yelled back at the officer, "What are we supposed to do for four hours."

Prospective juror and Howard Stern sidekick Gary Dell'Abate, aka "Baba Booey" passed the time mingling with celebrity attorney Mickey Sherman discussing how to get the veteran Greenwich attorney a gig as a regular CNN legal analyst.

Dell'Abate said he was trying to call his wife so the two could go out and get lunch downtown before reporting back to the jury room at 2 p.m.

Others were trying to determine how long they would need to wait to get their cars out of the garage.

"I don't have any choice, I don't see why I can't go in and get my car," said Art Lungo, a prospective juror from Weston.